Meet Suzie

Suzanne Sauer Spence is a wife of 21 years, mother of four, and tireless community volunteer.  In addition to caring for a husband campaigning for Governor and children in their formative years, Suzie makes time for numerous charitable endeavors.  For those who have worked alongside Suzie in her church and civic causes, they know her tremendous compassion and generosity is only matched by her enthusiasm and energy.

Suzie grew up in the St. Louis area community of Warson Woods.  Suzie’s father was a stockbroker and her mother was a teacher, first in the St. Louis Special School District and later with Shriners Hospital for Children.  Suzie attended Warson Woods Elementary and Ste. Genevieve Du Bois School prior to graduating from St. Joseph’s Academy.  While in high school, Suzie participated in several sports and worked part-time jobs.

After high school, Suzie went on to attend the University of Mississippi. She graduated in 1986 with a degree in education and then returned to her hometown to serve as a substitute teacher in the St. Louis Special Schools.  At the same time, she commuted to Cincinnati to work as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines.  Two years later, she also added graduate studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis to her ambitious schedule.

While working two jobs and pursuing her graduate degree, Suzie met Dave Spence in 1989. The couple married on August 11, 1990 and had their first child, son Logan, in December of the following year.  Suzie was pregnant with her daughter Tierney while finishing her Master’s in Education and submitted her dissertation the same day she gave birth.  Suzie and Dave eventually had two more daughters, Paige and Keeley.

By 2006, it was obvious that to Suzie that St. Louis public schools were in crisis.  Always one to help in the community, Suzie began volunteering at inner city Roosevelt High School. Suzie eventually co-founded the Community Alliance to Reinvigorate Education (CARE) and Project Footprints to improve the attendance and graduation rates for students at Roosevelt as well as provide them life skills. In addition to her inner city educational work, Suzie has served as a PTO president at her children’s school.

Suzie is involved in numerous church, civic, and charitable organizations. At Ste. Genevieve Du Bois Catholic Church, she has taught Sunday school and participates in the Altar Society and the Martha and Mary Ministry while serving as a Eucharistic Minister and lector. Suzie has also volunteered and led fundraising efforts for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center.